A Night to Die For
by xa-thousand-milesx
Summary: 10 Degrassi students receive anonymous invites to a party at the school one night and soon learn none of them will make it out alive. And one of them is behind it all...a Degrassi murder mystery, take your guess.
1. Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time, 10 little Degrassi students came out to party...

But trust me. This ain't a fairytale. It may not even be a good story. But it's _my_ story. I've planned it out from start to finish, conceived every twisted detail in my own wicked mind, and now, I'm about to live it.

I'm about to watch as 10 innocent victims are driven slowly to the point of no return. One of them being me, of course. By the time you hold this note in your hands, I'll be dead.

We'll all be dead. And on our way to a very bad place. But, hey, it's time someone taught these Degrassi bitches you can only screw around for so long before it comes to back to bite you in the ass.

No one dies by accident. Not tonight. I have a very tight guest list.

_KC Guthrie_

_Dave Turner_

_Jenna Middleton_

_Eli Goldsworthy_

_Alli Bhandari_

_Drew Torres_

_Bianca DeSousa_

_Connor Delaurier_

_Clare Edwards_

_Adam Torres_

(My name's on there, did you catch it?)

Tonight's been a long time coming, and it's one of those parties you just can't miss. So, I'd invite you to tag along. To witness every beautifully tragic moment alongside me.

I have to warn you, though: What lies ahead isn't pretty. Only I, the mastermind behind it all, can truly understand the beauty and sheer brilliance of what's about to unfold. But if you think you can handle it, I dare you to try.

You may laugh. You may cry. And yes, you may guess to your heart's content - But, really, when it comes down to it, who else could it be?

No one else could pull it off quite the same. No one other than the one and only...

_Me, _heh.

A bit disappointed, huh? You were hoping I'd slip and give it all away right here.

But you didn't really think I'd make it that easy, did you?

...

*Please review if you want me to continue!

If you want to see the theme song to go along with this, just search for it on youtube :)*


	2. The Uninvited

_You're invited!_

What: A surprise party!

Where: Degrassi Community High School

When: Friday night, 8:00 sharp

Why: Come and see...

...

"Word about the band must be spreading," Connor reasoned, blaming it for his sudden, supposed rise in the high school food chain, "I don't get invited to many parties."

"Yeah, I believe that," mumbled Dave. He still didn't fully understand how he was suddenly friends with Connor again and why he'd agreed to keep working on the band but there they were in the Simpson's basement, messing around with auto-tune.

Wesley casually thumbed through a stack of papers on a desk, checking where his invite could be hiding. After all, Connor's had been simply an anonymous IM and Dave's was mailed to him in the form of sheet music, as if the words could be lyrics to a billboard hit.

"Are you sure that 'song' wasn't meant for me too?" He couldn't help but ask, his voice tinged with hope. The last time he'd been to a party like that, Clare had bit his neck. And he was totally up for it again.

"_You hold a key to paradise. You have been blessed. This becomes a pass for just one guest_," Dave read the excerpt aloud, "...That's me."

"Sorry, Wes," shrugged Connor, "We didn't make the rules."

"Then, who _did_?" Wesley's eyes shifted suspiciously between them. Neither even guessed.

"Try this on your flute," Dave insisted suddenly. Wesley nodded weakly and reached for his instrument.

"So, tonight. You in?" Connor wanted to clarify.

"Hell yeah," he threw his hand up to high five Connor. "After tonight, we'll both be in _for good._"

The two bobbed their heads in agreement at the thought, but their grins soon faded as Wesley began to play. Dave winced as the sour notes stung his ears. Not exactly the type of music you'd wanna bust a move to. Clearly, this person didn't know much about partying.

Well, someone would just have to show 'em how it's done.

...

"So, I'm still kinda new around here," Eli reminded Clare, sneaking a few of Adam's fries into his mouth, "Is this something Degrassi just does all the time?"

Clare took a sip of her chocolate shake and read over the invite again, as if there were some hidden message between all the lines, "..No...at least, I don't think so...Darcy's never said anything about it."

"But Simpson is a new principal, right?" Adam budded in, "So, maybe he's behind it?"

Eli froze, "_Simpson?_ Simpson _hates_ us." He exchanged a nervous glance with Clare, and couldn't help but wonder if it was as hard for her to go back to being just friends as it was for him. "It's probably some sick plot of revenge to lock us inside the school and kill us off one by one."

Clare looked up suddenly, disturbed at the thought.

"I think everyone's pretty much beyond getting revenge at this point," Adam smirked. It seemed like the worst was finally behind them. They'd hit the boiling point and now, they had 2 stress-free weeks to cool down. With no bullies, no drama, and no homework, nothing could get in the way of having the best break ever. "Look, he obviously overreacted over the whole holy-shit-lockdown-Fitz-is-about-to-stab-a-wall thing, so, maybe this is his way of apologizing."

"So you vote 'go'?" Clare asked as Alli walked in, comforting Jenna.

"A night away from everything will be good for you," Alli assured her as they sat down with them, "You'll see."

"Ohh my god," blurted out Jenna as she quickly tried to shield herself from KC's view, "I didn't know _he_ was gonna be here."

"It'll be okay," Clare offered shyly, "The post-break up tension fades eventually."

Jenna nodded slowly. Now, that she was no longer with KC, she'd thought her and Clare could finally quit hating each other but, after the confrontation about the boob job rumor, friends seemed a little far off.

"Can I get you two anything?" Asked Peter, pen and paper in hand.

"God, yes, I'm starving," Jenna perked up, "I'll get a diet pepsi, a tuna wrap, fries, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream...er, please."

"I'll, uh, finish whatever she doesn't," Alli told him, shooting Jenna a weird look.

"So, did you guys get invites too?" Adam smacked away Eli's hand from his food, eliciting a chuckle.

Alli waved hers in the air, smiling.

"I have no idea what to wear, though," Jenna groaned, "I don't think I can fit into a single one of my dresses anymore."

"You're gonna go?" Clare looked surprised, "With the baby?"

"Can't exactly leave it behind.." Jenna replied in a 'duhh' sort of tone.

"But, do you really think that's..._safe?_"

The others glanced around the table, muffling their laughter.

"It's a party, Clare-bear," said Jenna, "What's the worst that could happen?"

...

"Dude, she's going too," Drew inferred when he saw Alli holding up her invitation. "Then, we are so there."

KC shrugged, confused, "But you guys just broke up..."

"So, now's the part where I win her back," Drew answered confidently.

He sighed, "What's the cheer this time?"

Drew laughed and shook his head, pushing his friend's shoulder playfully. KC watched as Peter brought Jenna all her food. She suddenly felt too nauseous to even take a bite. As her and Alli pushed it back and forth from each other, he felt torn between amusement and sympathy. He really wanted to be there for Jenna, but he just couldn't.

"I think I'm spending Friday night with my mom," KC remembered, "You'll just have to stalk her down without me."

"C'mon, man, don't make me go alone," Drew begged.

"You can manage to stay away from the boiler room for 2 weeks," KC teased, "There's always the Ravine...and Bologna."

"Don't you dare ever mention that room again," Drew warned him, right before the bell above the door rang, announcing Bianca's entrance. "Damn, don't you guys have anywhere else to hang out?"

"She's looking over here," KC rolled his eyes, "How can she still be after you when-"

"KC," Drew stopped him, "She's looking at _you_."

"What?" KC turned to meet her gaze, the idea that she could like him sinking in.

Drew recognized the dorky grin on his face and hit him on the shoulder, "Dude, what are you doing? Don't tell me you're actually into her."

"You're just mad that you screwed it up," KC mumbled, hardly breaking the stare.

"Naw, man, that _bitch_ is screwed up," Drew corrected him.

KC's heart sped up a little as Bianca made her way over, her strappy, black heels clicking against the ground.

"Heard about the party Friday night?" She rested a hand on her hip as Drew shrug-nodded 'yes', pretending to be distracted by everything and anything else around him.

But her eyes were focused on KC, "Good, so you're going?"

"The thought crossed our minds," Drew confirmed flatly, waiting for her to just walk away.

"Thank god," she smirked, scanning KC over, "I was worried I'd be the only reasonably attractive person there."

He looked down modestly, grinning, before managing to finally say something, "Oh, so, I assume we'll be seeing_ you _there?"

"Oh yeah," Bianca smiled, brushing his bangs aside lightly, "And I'll make you sure you have a perfect view," she whispered suggestively into his ear before leaving. Drew just gagged.

"Reanalyzing the party situation..." KC admitted, "I'm there."

...

*Somebody's lying. Somebody knows exactly whose party this is. But is the killer convincing everyone to go, or _being convinced?_ Either way...it's working.

Please review! I need at least 15 to update! :)*


	3. Wanna Be Startin' Something

Clare fastened a second barette into her hair and tried out a smile in her bedroom mirror. Her eyes watched the clock intently, knowing Eli would be there to pick her up any minute now. Taking in a deep breath became her best attempt at relaxing as she continuously reminded herself she shouldn't feel this way about him anymore. It just wasn't good for her.

She'd felt the pain in his voice as he told her about Julia, seen the hurt in his eyes as the heartbreaking memory came back to haunt him..._Why should I get to be happy? _Suddenly, she began to understand the way that losing someone can destroy you inside. Yet, it didn't fully sink in until she saw Fitz pull that knife. _Keep him scared, _Eli always insisted. But he didn't just scare Fitz. He scared _her. _

When Fitz lunged the weapon at him without warning, when he slid down the wall in shock...a wave of complete and utter hopelessness shot through her that she hadn't known she could feel. And she would _never _let him do that to her again.

"_Claire_," her dad's firm tone shook her out of the flashback. "There's someone waiting outside for you."

Eli's heart stopped when he saw her. The flowy white dress fell just above her knees and its sweetheart-line fit her perfectly. It was the most skin he'd ever seen her show and he had to wonder why she was doing this to him.

"Is it okay if I tell you, _just as a friend_," he began softly, "That you take my breath away."

A faint blush filled her cheeks as she looked down gently. "..Um...yeah. I'm sure Alli will tell me the exact same thing," She answered with a teasingly assured nod. "You look nice too, by the way, although you forgot to do up your bowtie," she pretended to point out, tugging it playfully.

"It's a fashion choice!" He defended himself, feigning hurt feelings.

Clare paused to laugh, briefly admitting their banter was all a joke, before continuing, "Well, I'd help you make the right one if we weren't about to be late," she ended on a frantic note.

"Shall we?" Eli offered his arm gallantly.

"Oh, so, chivalry lives on," she beamed, holding onto his bicep.

No, she would not be able to take this much longer. Maybe_, _just _maybe, _it would be okay to set everything aside and put her heart on the line for him. And maybe, she'd find out they were never meant to be, and end up with a few more love scars, but, then...maybe it was worth it. She needed to know, and she would tell him that. After tonight.

...

"You sure got over Juno pretty goddamn fast," Drew remarked brusquely while he and KC drove up to the school. Adam sat in the back, his feet resting up against the seat in front of him.

KC's first instinct was to smack Drew across the face for mentioning her. He couldn't stand how everything seemed to keep reminding him of Jenna. Because when he thought of her, he felt.._guilty._ His life had been finally coming together and she was the center of his world. He told her he loved her, that he'd never leave her, and then, he threw it all away and shattered her heart to pieces. Every time he saw her face, he thought of the tears running down it when he told her they were over. And he knew what he'd done would be hanging over his head for the rest of his life.

So, he decided to brush that off and go with his second reaction. "Yeah, well, Bianca has a way of making ex-girlfriends disappear," he illustated the poof effect with his hand. "Hey, at least _I'm _single."

Drew took his eyes off the road just to glare at him, "Alli reads those..Fizzle Shmizzle Teen magazines more than her Koran. Isn't the rule you're supposed to take the guy back if it's just the first time?"

"I thought it was 'once a cheater, always a cheater'?" Adam corrected him with fake innocence.

"Well, I guess _you_ would know better than me," Drew fired back insolently. He hated mocking Adam like that because he knew how bad it pissed him off, but, then, that's why he did it.

"So much for no-strings-attached, huh?" KC threw in.

"I'm stupid. Alli knows that," Drew explained as he pulled up into the parking lot, "And once I remind her of that, she'll forgive me."

"Sounds foolproof." KC jumped out of the car and scanned around for a certain someone. Bianca caught his eye from a distance and he nodded back at her.

Adam rolled his eyes, unable to believe how many guys had fallen for that. And that he'd been one of them.

He spotted Eli's hearse and almost ran over, until he noticed he was with Clare, arguing blithely over how the rear view mirror should be adjusted. Why couldn't they just throw each other in the backseat and get it over with already? He didn't even feel like his brother wanted him around anymore. Maybe no one did.

...

"Are you feeling okay?" Alli asked Jenna supportively as they walked up the front steps. She tried to keep herself busy looking after Jenna as a way to distract herself from thinking about Drew. Clare had never quite gotten the same stroke of luck.

"I _was," _Jenna admitted, wanting to gag at the sight of Bianca sinking her slutty claws into KC's shoulder. "And I thought the morning sickness was over," she mumbled.

Alli shot KC a dirty look even though he'd never see. How many more of her best friends could he scar for life? And to think he was her second first kiss...

Her hand brushed against Drew's as he grabbed the door handle before her and held it open.

"After you," he whispered, softly staring at her with apologetic eyes.

"Well, it's nice to see you're putting someone else first for once," she glowered back as she passed him, tugging a teary-eyed Jenna along behind her.

...

"Who the fuck are _they_?"

KC leant back against Bianca's car and shifted uneasily, "Um, that's Connor a-and Dave."

"Wasn he #1 on that loser list?" Bianca snickered as she watched them pass.

"Yeah..." KC drawled, thinking back, "Believe it or not, I've hung out with both of them." Bianca gave him a look before he went on, "But don't worry. I'm normal now."

Her shoulders lifted as she laughed inwardly, "Then, who the hell invited those freaks?"

"They're not that bad..." KC defended them quietly, instead of offering an answer.

"All I know is," Bianca pushed off her car and smirked, "Degrassi'd be better off without 'em."

...

*Ah! An update! Hope you like it :) I had to post it before school started tomorrow, so, hopefully, when I come back after a long day, I'll have a few reviews to cheer me up =) I wanna get to at least 100 before updating again, and I've never had that many on any of my fanfics ever, so to have that many after just 3 chapters, would be amaaazing! The mystery part will really begin next chapter, but maybe you got a few clues from these about who it could be? Hmm...you better take your guess now in case you want to be able to prove in the end you figured it out all along ;) Oh, and there'll be a new theme song thing to the song Hotback when I post this chapter on Youtube so check it out!*


	4. Only God Can Judge Me

The long, black rug streamed down the hallway, leading them straight to the cafeteria. Yet, instead of feeling familiar, it seemed so...strange. Dark sheets and silver beads were hanging over all the walls and every table was missing except for one. The same one that had been set with 10 plates of food, 10 martini glasses, and a single white candle. Someone had definitely gone all out.

"Now, _this_ is my kind of party," Eli admired the depressing, gothic look of it all.

Clare shook her head in disbelief as everyone simply 'ooh'ed and 'ahh'ed at the display. "So, I'm the only one slightly creeped out by this?"

"Relax." Her body jolted instinctively when Eli set his hand on her shoulder. She blushed in embarrassment, realizing how unduly nervous she'd suddenly gotten. He chuckled lightly and ran his warm fingers down her arm, sending chills through her. "We're together."

He held the stare for a moment before breaking it off and heading towards the table. Because if he hadn't, he would've just had to pull her up against him and kiss her forever. And he didn't know if that was allowed anymore.

Why couldn't she just give him another chance? He told her everything...about the bully, about Julia...that was supposed to make her understand. She'd pushed him into this, forced him to admit the feelings he had for her, and he'd finally given in. He thought she'd show him what love was again...not break his heart. _I can't be with you..._

"Sit by me, okay?" Bianca nudged KC before noticing the name cards on the table.

"I don't think I have a choice," he replied slowly, as he realized where his seat was at. "Between my 2 ex-girlfriends," KC mumbled faintly, "Perfect."

"I'm next to the Torres brothers?" Bianca blurted out, sounding a little less than amused.

"Yeah, you can read. Good for you," Adam murmured sarcastically as he sat down with the others. No one else seemed to be rebelling against their unidentified host and his instructions.

"Seriously, who's behind this?" The brunette demanded. Her dark, accusing eyes darted back and forth, unsure of where to land.

"I'm just speculating here," Drew began derisively, "But I kinda think if our host wanted us to know who they were, they wouldn't have made all the invites _anonymous_."

"Whatever, this is bullshit," Bianca snapped, "If they're too pathetic to admit their sorry ass put this trainwreck together, no way in hell am I gonna let them torture me through dinner." She ripped her place card down the middle and glanced around KC. She remembered the blonde from her quest for diet pills, "Jenna, switch with me."

"My head is throbbing," Jenna groaned in response, burying her face into her palm. KC winced and turned away. unintentionally making eye contact with Clare. He whipped his head down and tugged at his bangs casually, pretending that never happened.

"And what? Your legs are broken?" Bianca argued back, "Get the hell over here!"

"My forehead is pulsating," She lamented again, completely ignoring the command.

"Drink some water," KC offered impatiently, pushing her glass towards her. She looked up at him, startled, before accepting. "I'll just trade with Drew," He went on, "No point in even asking Clare to ditch her new, emo boyfriend for a second."

"What? Uh, no, i mean, we..we're ju-just," Clare mumbled, glancing at Eli for help.

"Friends," he finished for her.

"Friends," echoed Clare. KC's jab at her had gone right over her head. She just didn't want anyone else to be as confused about her relationship with Eli as she was. Did he even realize how close his leg was pressed up against hers?

KC widened his eyes in amusement, "Oh, so, I'm guessing your little library make out session was just prep for a french exam?"

Eli blinked in confusion. "Woah, what, are you, like, stalking her?"

"Dude, seriously?" KC rolled his eyes, "Me and Drew were right in front of there, studying. You practically put it on window display."

Drew tried to help him out, "Yeah, that was the day when Bianca came over and -"

"So, of course you'd remember that," Alli finally spoke up from the end next to him. He turned to face her, immediately catching himself. He swallowed painfully hard, his heartsick eyes silently begging her for a second chance. She glared past him, "C'mon, KC, don't think everyone didn't see you checking out her 'boob job' that day in gym class."

"You did wonder what they'd be like," Dave pointed out before KC could say anything. He wanted in.

"Yeah, don't help," KC shut him down.

"So, you _were_ looking at her!" Jenna instinctively pulled the only energy she had left to raise her voice. It felt more like someone had just smashed her head between a pair of cymbals.

Bianca laughed brazenly, "You honestly think now that KC's one of the most wanted star athletes at Degrassi, he'd still be hooked on his frumpy, Bible-humping ex?"

"Don't you_ dare _talk about her like that!" Eli jumped up in her defense.

"Or what? You'll cut me?" She fired back.

Jenna focused past Bianca to a black velvet couch in the back of the room. "Sit where you want. I've gotta go lie down," she mumbled as she left. KC finally felt like he could breathe again. Bianca just groaned and fell back into the chair she was meant to.

"Can we just go easy on the drama for tonight?" Adam begged, "Eli and Clare aren't together anymore, so who cares?"

"They broke up after Vegas Night," Alli added simply. "Ever since Eli made Fitz bring that knife to school, everything's been totally awkward," She jabbered on quietly as if she were trying to whisper a secret, but to the entire table.

After a moment of processing, Drew furrowed his eye brows, "You're holding him responsible for the lockdown?"

"I do."

The room fell quiet. They all turned to stare as Connor innocently sunk down further into his seat, his fork lazily pushing the food around his plate. No one really knew what else to say. Jenna finally shut her eyes, drifting off into a deep, peaceful slumber...At least for a second.

The uproar came back full force as they continued insulting each other mercilessly, each shout louder than the last. But just as Clare shrieked for them to stop, the noise level hitting it's peak, a deafening clap of thunder sounded through the room. Darkness filled the room, leaving the flickering flame at the center of the table as the only light source. And through the ear-splitting silence, a soft, shrill voice began to sing...

_"Ten little Indian boys went out to dine; one choked his little self and then there were nine._

_Nine little Indian boys sat up very late; one overslept himself and then there were eight._

_Eight little Indian boys traveling in Devon; one said he'd stay there and then there were seven._

_Seven little Indian boys chopping up sticks; one chopped himself in halves and then there were six._

_Six little Indian boys playing with a hive; a bumblebee stung one and then there were five._

_Five little Indian boys going in for law; one got in Chancery and then there were four._

_Four little Indian boys going out to sea; a red herring swallowed one and then there were three._

_Three little Indian boys walking in the zoo; a big bear hugged one and then there were two._

_Two little Indian boys were out in the sun; one got all frizzled up and then there was one._

_One little Indian boy left all alone; He went out and hanged himself and then there were none."_

Clare's eyes fought to find Eli until she felt his hand run over hers, intertwining his fingers through hers. She exhaled slowly. Everything was going to be okay.

"Is that supposed to be a joke?" Drew wondered after the voice had completely faded away, "'Cause I'm not laughing."

"What the hell is up with Mother Goose these days?" The words played over and over in Eli's head. It couldn't be for real, could it? It didn't even make sense. They weren't in a zoo, or by the sea, and they weren't exactly planning to fly to Devon anytime soon. Still, looking around, there were ten of them. And that didn't really give him the easiest feeling anymore.

Not being able to take it anymore, Bianca shot up and slammed her fists down on the table so hard it shook. "What the _fuck_ is going on here?" She screamed.

"_Bianca Desousa_," the voice boomed through the intercom again. It wasn't high-pitched like before, but still unrecognizable. "_The_ _Slut."_

"Excuse me?" Her voice screeched in reply.

"_You're shallow and manipulative. You use people and then hang 'em out to dry. You know you're going nowhere in life, so you try to take everyone else down with you. This is why you're being condemned."_

She shrunk back down again. _Condemned?_ What was that supposed to mean? And why was she being singled out? Her heart raced as she felt all eyes on her. Had this all just been some vengeful, elaborate scheme to humiliate her in front of everyone?

"_Connor Delaurier,"_ it continued. Bianca sighed gratefully, yet all the same fear was still there. "_The Outcast."_

Connor dropped his fork and sat up, avoiding eye contact with everyone.

"_You're alone and isolated, yet you still continue to push away the only friends you've ever had. The only who doesn't want you at Degrassi more than you...is me. This is why you're being condemned."_

He looked for Dave over on the opposite corner of the table, but he could barely even see across from him. They were all still sitting there, right?

"_Alli Bhandari. The Tease." _Her eyes immediately began to brim with tears when she heard her name. She bit her lip as she braced herself for what was to follow.

"_You're selfish and desperate. You do whatever it takes to get what you want, no matter who you hurt. You hold onto grudges and can never put the past behind you. This is why you're being condemned."_

Drew reached out to comfort her but she jerked away. He opened his mouth to say something, but then it was his turn.

"_Drew Torres_. _The Cheater. That's an easy one."_ He exchanged a glance with Bianca before looking down shamefully.

"_But don't forget liar. Blackmailer. And my personal favorite...traitor."_ Drew clenched his teeth. Each one felt like a punch in the stomach._ "This is why you're being condemned."_

"_Dave Turner," _the mysterious voice blared again. "_The Wannabee. You never give up because you can't take a hint. #1 loser. Get over it. You shouldn't be here and that's why you are. This is why you're being condemned."_

"Who the hell do you think you are?" He yelled back because no one else would. The better question was who the hell did _he_ think it was.

"_Jenna Middleton. The Backstabber." _

"Are you still there, Jenna?" Clare asked nervously, her grip tightening on Eli's hand.

"I'm here," she answered, supporting herself up on her elbows as she listened.

"_You're a boyfriend stealer and you don't care. Yet, you expect everyone to feel sorry for you now. This is why you're being condemned."_

Jenna's head fell back again as she blinked back her tears. She just wanted to be back in her bed, where she could down a bottle of tylenol, snuggle up under her cozy, warm covers, and never wake up again. Not shivering in some tight, itchy dress as some psycho called out in pitch darkness to remind her of all the reasons she had to hate herself.

_"Adam Torres," _it went on. Drew watched his brother apprehensively. What had Adam ever done to anyone? _"The Poser."_

The words stung right through him. He swallowed hard. Oh, god.

"_You can pretend all you want. You're still a girl and you know it. Keeping it a secret only makes you a liar. This is why you're being condemned."_

Adam bit down on his tongue till it bled. He could feel the anger building inside him, but it could only escape through tears. Whoever this person was, they weren't messing around.

"Boys don't cry," Bianca whispered to his ear, smirking.

"_KC Guthrie. The Heartbreaker." _KC nodded to himself. He knew that was coming. "_In trying to keep your life together, you've destroyed another. Possibly, two."_

The baby, he instantly thought. _His_ baby.

"_Looking out for no one but yourself is nothing new. And it's never gonna change. This is why you're being condemned."_

Eli pulled Clare closer, letting her head rest against his shoulder. There was only two left.

"_Clare Edwards." _He wrapped his arms around her tightly. Whether or not they were together, he was there for her.

_"The Goody-Two-Shoes. You're controlling and stubborn. You think because you believe in bullshit, you have the right to judge everyone else. Well, now, your judgement day has come. This is why you're being condemned."_

She couldn't help but cry out of fear. Eli kissed her forehead gently. No one could really do anything to her, right?

"_Eli Goldsworthy_. _The Badass." _The voice still spoke in the same slow pace as it did from the beginning. He just wanted it over with already. _"You're always afraid to show the real you. You push people away before you give them a chance. No matter what you do, someone ends up getting hurt, and sometimes, I think you like that. Your past will always be a part of who you are. Because you won't let go of anything you hold. This is why you're being condemned."_

The lights slowly came back on. Heavy breathing and heartbeats was all the only sound left in the room. It had to be a joke. A sick joke, and nothing more. Someone had just brought them together to try to taunt them for fun. Someone who must've been waiting in the principal's office, ready to pop out and laugh at them for falling for it. Their eyes finally began to meet each other as they finally felt like they could wipe their tears away...unaware that one of them was only seconds away from death.

...

*Now, that's school's starting, it's been harder to find the time to write obviously but I'll still keep updating as long as I keep getting reviews! If I feel like people's interest in the story is beginning to fade, so will my motivation to write it, so please tell me what you think of every chap! This story has 58 alerts so shouldn't I be able to expect that many reviews? XD pleeaassee?*


	5. He Asked For It

"Who was that?" Drew asked blankly, breathing hard to stay calm. But his eyes were only met with empty glances.

Alli's shaky hand swiftly brushed away one of her tears. Adam stared down at the ground lifelessly. Eli's thumb stroked Clare's wrist gently. Bianca threw a handful of her curls behind her shoulder in frustration.

"Listen," Clare slipped out of Eli's arms to sit up, "If anyone here..has any involvement in what's going on here...ju-just tell us now," she begged meekly. "I promise I won't be mad. Just please..."

And right then and there, the killer stood up and came clean, willingly destroying their entire plan and offering to spend the rest of their life in an insane asylum.

_Yeah, right._

"It's gotta be Owen," Bianca gritted her teeth angrily, "That prick."

Alli groaned bitterly. She should've known. If anyone would label her a tease, it would be Owen.

"Owen and Fitz," Eli nodded. Clare's mouth dropped, her head shaking incessantly at him. How much more revenge could Fitz possibly need?

"Then, why won't they just come out and admit it already?" Alli whined impatiently.

"As long as I can see my own 2 hands in front of my face, I'm happy," admitted Drew. All he could hope for was that the lights stayed on.

Clare paused before whimpering softly, "I was so scared."

"It wasn't even that good of a prank."

Everyone backtracked, whipping their heads towards Connor again. He always seemed to know the worst possible thing to say.

"Could've been executed way better," he commented.

"_I'm sorry?"_ Bianca blinked in disbelief, thinking she couldn't have possibly heard him right.

"Did you _not _hear what that bastard just said about you?" Alli sided with Bianca.

"It wasn't anything everyone didn't already know. Like it or not, none of it was," he replied simply.

"Damn, dude, what the hell is your problem?" Bianca snapped.

"Besides the fact that your life's just been condemned, she means," KC threw in for the hell of it.

Connor sighed disappointedly at him, "How did you ever make it into the gifted program at Degrassi? When logically considered, the entire idea is simply exposed as thorougly infeasible, puerile, and honestly, egregious."

"Well, I'm embarrassed," KC answered flatly.

"Connor, I say this as a friend," Dave began. "Shut the fuck up."

"You're not my friend!" Connor yelled back. "All the shit you guys have brought on Degrassi...Why do you think I stay out of it?"

Alli folded her arms together stubbornly, "Funny. And all these years, I thought you had no choice."

"I believe in karma," he went on before ending coldly, "But none of you will ever get quite what you deserve."

Bianca gave up and rolled her eyes, "Drop dead, freak."

Connor shut his mouth slowly and sunk back. No one ever took anything he said seriously. Maybe his intellect was just ahead of his time. He must've possessed some sort of a superior knowledge simply beyond what any of them could even begin to fathom. But he ought not hold it against them. He was starving, anyway.

"Can we just get out of here?" Adam finally suggested, shaking himself out of his daze.

"I know, this is pathetic," Alli ranted, "How the hell did we even fall for - Connor, stop being weird. We should've known something was up with - Connor," She tried to get his attention again as he began gagging, "_Connor!"_

Once again, everyone turned to stare silently. But it would be for the last time.

"He- he's choking," Dave spoke up suddenly, "You guys, he's choking!"

"Connor," KC pat his back firmly, "Connor, you okay?"

Connor shot out of his seat, grabbing his throat and gasping for air as the others surrounded him. Alli backed up slowly, her wide eyes watching in absolute horror. Clare's heart stopped, cold tears staining her innocent face all over again.

Eli rushed to his side, "Call 911!"

Bianca snatched her purse off the floor and tore through it, "I-it's not here! Goddamnit, where the fuck is my phone?" She dumped the entire bag's contents over the table. Lip gloss, wallet, mirror, more than enough gum...

Dave dove his hands into his pockets, "I can't find mine either..."

"Oh, for the love of god, you morons," Eli slammed the group for not having dialed the digits already. He frustratedly reached for his before realizing what they meant. "Oh, _shit_..."

Connor dropped to his knees, his warm blood running down his blue lips. He was dying before their very eyes and there was nothing they could do about it...

Alli collasped her hand over her mouth as Connor's body went abruptly still. Clare wrapped her arms up and around Eli's neck, desperately burying her face into his shoulder. He slowly brought his hands around her waist, looking around hopelessly.

"Ten little Indian boys went out to dine," KC whispered aloud, "One choked his little self and then there were nine."

Adam grabbed a fork and briskly scraped through the rest of Connor's food. "There's glass in here," he told them skeptically, carefully picking out a piece. He dropped it and ran over to check his, but found nothing. He went through Bianca's, Drew's, Alli's... "Nothing, nothing, nothing!" He threw down the last plate angrily. "These name cards weren't just for fun, guys. Connor was supposed to sit _here. _And eat _this_ food, and...die."

Drew bit his lip and shut his despondent eyes, "Who's next?"

Eli pulled away from Clare and laughed to himself, "The hell am I gonna wait around here to find out."

"Then, what?" Alli whispered through her tears.

"Let's get the fuck out of here!"

...

*I was gonna make this longer but some of you wanted faster updates. I don't know if you'd rather prefer longer chapters now...? Maybe this wasn't fast enough anyway, but I hope I cheered up Erised_Lestrange ;)

Anywayyy, I seriously never believed I'd get as many reviews as I suggested last time. I thought if I actually required that many, I'd never be able to update again :p but you guys are amayzzzinnng so thank u so much! So, now that someone's finally dead, I expect a whole lot of really-well thought out guesses about who this brilliant murderer actually is :D

Oh, and to smileyfaceanna's anonymous review about if saying "his instructions" in the last chapter meant the killer was a guy - nice catch but nope. Whether or not the killer actually is a guy, that wasn't meant to be a clue to it. They're a little deeper than that... :)*


	6. This Place is a Prison

Eli's shoes squeaked to a halt when he reached the door, the others colliding over behind him. Alli found her balance in her heels as her eyes drifted up slowly to see the lock and chains that were securing their only way of escape shut. They were in lockdown all over again. KC ran to the nearest window and began to pound against the glass.

"It won't break," Dave told him emptily, "Simpson got them laminated yesterday. Connor told me." He bit his tongue at the mention of his friend's name. Whether or not Connor thought of him as one, he knew he was the closest thing he'd ever had to it, and even though Dave would never admit it, he sort of needed Connor too. And now, he was gone. But then, maybe he was better off.

KC's fists fell slowly. "What about the back door? We should at least check it."

"Be my guest," Eli offered, but KC didn't move. No one knew what - or _who _- could be hiding down those halls.

"So, there's no way out," Adam nodded angrily.

"No..." Alli breathed in denial. She rushed up to the door and shook it mercilessly, "No, no, no, no - !" Drew forced her off as she fell back easily into his arms. "No..." she whimpered into his chest.

"There's nothing you can do," he whispered regretfully. He knew she was only letting out the emotion everyone else was trying so hard to hold in.

"Goddamnit!" KC slammed his fist against the wall, "Why the hell did you force me into coming here with you?" He attacked Drew.

Drew glared up at him, "You only came because you thought it was your last chance at ever getting laid!" He argued irately, "And by the girl evidently responsible for that kid's death!"

Bianca's eyes doubled in size at the accusation, "_Me_?"

"Well, you did tell him to drop dead about 10 seconds before he, um, did," Drew reminded her.

She planted her hands on her hips firmly and jeered, "Oh, yeah. I just had to wave my wand and say the magic words, and he keeled right over!" Drew just glowered at her.

"This couldn't have been one of us," Eli came to her defense, "We were all sitting there the whole time."

"The lights were out," KC fought back, "Any one of us could've gotten up!"

"I can account for myself and Eli," Clare offered shyly.

"Unless you're both in cahoots together..." Dave eyed them suspiciously.

Alli shook her head obstinately, "I can't even handle the idea of 1 killer, forget 2!"

"And why would the murderer make themself a victim?" Clare added. She never meant to take any blame for this, although she would sooner accuse herself than Eli.

"Maybe to hide the fact that they weren't one," Bianca pointed out as if it were obvious.

"It would have to be someone with connections to all of us," decided Drew, "You need real reasons to want someone dead."

"Do you?" Dave countered.

"Okay, so, how are we all connected?" Adam asked, playing off his brother's idea.

"Well, Dave was friends with Alli," Clare began, trying to mentally visualize a friendship tree, "...who dated Drew, who's related to Adam, who..isn't exactly on the best terms with Bianca, who...may or may not wanna hook up with KC, who dated me, who's...really good friends with Eli."

KC grinned at her, "Still good at being the smart one?"

"I never changed," Clare answered simply, "That was all you."

Bianca rolled her eyes. They didn't have time for this. "What about that poem?"

"That stuff can't really happen, right?" Alli asked nervously.

"No way," Drew assured her, "I mean, really? Bees, birds, bears..."

"Oh my," Clare whispered fearfully.

"This is Degrassi, not Jumanji," He insisted.

"But how does it say the next person dies?" Adam wanted to know just in case.

Eli tried to think back, "Uhh, 9 little Indians...something, something...stayed up late...something, something, something...one overslept...something...then there were 8."

"Okay, so, as long as we stay awake..." Clare took a deep breathe, "We stay alive."

KC nodded along with her. He knew they all couldn't just keep from falling asleep for the next 2 weeks, but he'd be damned if he was the first to give in. Sighing in relief, he began to summon up the focus and concentration this would take. It would become survival of the fittest and everyone would have to fend for themselves. His eyes scanned over the group. He could totally beat out Dave, Alli, Adam, Drew...

Something was missing. He quickly checked again, his heart rate speeding up as he tried counting. His mind raced. Raced to the one little Indian who wasn't there...

"_JENNA!_"

...

*Okay, this is short again but I think it's a good place to stop. Chap 5 and 6 were originally gonna be combined but I split them up to update faster. I think a chapter weekly is a good update schedule, altho ik a lot of u disagree. But, if ur getting that impatient waiting, just read the whole story again rlly carefully and try to figure out who it is. Cuz that's the whole point.

So, altho this story has more ppl alerting it than reviewing, I've still gotten some rlly sweet comments so thank youu all! Makes this so much more fun to write :) :) But some of the anonymous reviews are so frustrating cuz I rlllyy wanna reply to them, so anybody who can log in, pleaseee do! But here's one I had to reply to:

" Den'Marice Chambers" - I never said the killer wasn't one of the boys! Why would I ever say that? Whether or not it was true, whyyy would I ever tell anybody?

haha okayy, anyway, plz review! And not just about how u want more updates, tell me what u thot of this chap and who you think it is! 60+ to update!

ohhh, and when I upload this chap to youtube, there's an ALL NEW theme song vid to go with it and I've worked a lot harder on it than the last 2 so yall better check it outt :)*


	7. White Lies and Blue Eyes

"Jenna...Jenna, wake up," he whispered against her ear. She was lying on her side, facing away from everyone as they watched in silence. KC was the only one willing to come closer.

"Jenna, please..." KC begged, "Don't do this to me." His hand wrapped over her shoulder, her skin freezing against his. He turned her onto her back and jumped up in horror.

"Oh my _god!"_ Bianca blurted out, disgusted, "She looks like a dead fish!"

Lurid blue eyes were the only contrast against her colourless, pale skin. KC let a tear run down his cheek, feeling like her icy, wide pupils were staring back at him, as if to say, _You did this to me..._

He couldn't even fully understand how it broke him the way it did. His problem was gone now; who was he to complain? _Maybe this is how it's supposed to be_, she'd told him, but it didn't make any sense. He was young and afraid, and so, he panicked, running away from the only thing he promised himself he'd never lose. And now, along with a child who would never have a chance to know life, she was gone forever, and he would never get to let her know just how much he'd always loved her. This wasn't how it was supposed to be either.

"And our unknown host strikes again..." Adam muttered under his breath.

"But _how_?" demanded Alli. Her best friend was dead. She needed answers. "It doesn't look like anybody's even touched her!"

"Maybe they didn't have to," Eli suggested, backing up to find Jenna's glass. Just as he expected, when he flipped it over, there wasn't a drop left.

"You think she was poisoned?" Clare half-whispered, afraid to even mention the idea.

"Either that or one very large sleeping pill," he determined before shattering the glass down on the table.

Bianca's mouth hung open for a moment as her heart began to pound, "That...that could have been me."

"But it wasn't," Eli snapped at her, "_Was it_?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" She replied defensively.

"Jenna didn't just die by chance. Someone planned for it to be _her. _Someone planned all of this,_" _Eli tried to explain, only just making sense of it himself, "And we're playing right into his hands! He's calling every move we're gonna make!"

"That's what we get for being so goddamn in character," Drew grumbled to himself.

"So, what's our _next_ move?" Adam spoke for the group. "How do we take him by surprise?"

"Shh!" Alli insisted, agitatedly looking over the room, "What if he can hear us?" The others paused to glance around in fear, their eyes only falling back on each other.

Clare's breathing cut short, "What if he's..._in here_?" Eli met her timorous eyes and shook his head assuredly.

"But he's gonna come find us," Dave added, making Clare just as afraid.

"Not if we find him first," Eli decided to take charge. He couldn't stand to see his best friend looking so hopeless. He wanted to be the one who could fix it. "I say we split up and search the school for the killer."

"Ohh, kinda like Werewolf?" Bianca suggested lightheartedly. Thank god that, while the other girls had come dressed for homecoming, she'd had sense enough to stick with jeans. She was so ready to take down this bitch.

"So, every man for himself?" Dave assumed.

"Partners," Eli corrected him, wrapping an arm around Clare. "Pick someone you _trust."_

Bianca looked to see KC knelt down at Jenna's side. He lifted his head up languidly, still coming to grips with the situation. He had no choice but to look up at Bianca and nod.

Drew instinctively turned to Alli, but she hooked her arm around Dave's, refusing to make eye contact. He glanced over at Adam who shrugged in response. At least his brother hadn't totally forgot about him.

Eli found a napkin and a pen in the clutter on the table and attempted to sketch out some sort of floor plan, "KC and Bianca will take here, here, and..something over here. Adam and Drew will stake out here, here, and - no wait. _Here_." Scribbled lines began to run in every direction, creating a jumbled mess. After a few revisions, it finally began to make sense.

"Kapeesh?" Eli tried to confirm, unaware he may have just given away the location of each of the victims to a homocidal maniac.

"Let's get this over with," Bianca rolled her eyes, leading KC to the door. The others followed tentatively, pairing off into the hallow halls. The lights were working and 8 of them were still alive. Maybe they'd have a chance after all.

"Wait," Clare grabbed onto Eli's shoulder and pulled him aside, "What if one of us actually finds the killer?"

He stared down for a moment before looking back up at her, grinning blithely.

"I'll _handle_ it."

...

*I know I took a long time to update so y'all just wanna yell at me, so I'll just post this rlly fast and then run for my life. And yeah, it's short too, but it's set up for the next chap, which I've already started writing so I can update faster next time! I know not much happened in this chap but please please pleaseeee say something nice about it anyway (if u liked it; u can just move right along if u didn't) and don't complain about how long it took :(

I'll probly enable anonymous reviews again soon but some of them were posting multiple reviews per chapter and it was getting annoying.

And Natasha - yeah, the 1st chapter is written diff on purpose. It's a letter from the killer who you won't hear from again until the end. And no, I didn't choose the killer based off my username...or vice versa.

Okay, thanks guys! Love yall! :D*


	8. Set the World on Fire

"So, all this was just about you hoping to get lucky tonight?" Bianca gently teased him on their way to the kitchen, alluding to Drew's earlier remark. "I thought you loved me," She fake-pouted for sympathy.

KC laughed lightly and tried the door handle, expecting to find it locked. But it only turned easily in his hand and swung the door open, almost giving them permission to go in. What luck.

"Drew's a douche," KC answered plainly, feeling along the wall in a panic for the light switch. "He doesn't know what he's talking about." He found himself just staring as she walked past him dauntlessly, checking over the room for any sign of life. Subconsciously fixing his bangs again, he added, "This seems like more than that."

Her lips curved into a suggestive grin as she lifted herself onto a countertop, taking a break from the exhausting search. "It's cool, I know he hates me," she shrugged, playfully crossing her black velvet boots over each other before admitting, "I know they all hate me."

KC clumsily shoved his hands in his pockets, stammering, "Well...I - I wouldn't really say _hate-_"

"No, don't worry," Bianca cut him off coolly. "I hate them too."

"They don't hate you," He insisted, his eyes meeting hers softly, "They're just...afraid of you."

Bianca cocked up an eyebrow, tilting her head slightly. Her tongue glossed over her lip as she lowered herself down. His heart began to race as she backed him up against the wall, scanning his body up and down. She studied his reaction carefully as her hands ran up his arms and down his chest, testing the waters. She leant in closer, breathing hot, heavy air against his mouth, "Are you afraid of me?"

His breath cut short. He felt their hips press together, her body melting into his, begging him to go along with it. There were so many reasons not to... But, at that moment, not one of them came to mind.

"Terrified," He whispered, sealing the gap between them, giving in to her seductive touch...

...

"How, in the midst of finding out we're locked in some sort of death trap, watching her friends die off one by one, and realizing the only way to avoid being next is to go chasing after some Michael Myers wannabe, does Alli still find the time to hate me?"

Adam threw open a gym locker and jumped back. It was empty, of course, except for a few changes of shorts and a retainer. His hand clutched his heart, steadying his breathing rate. Honestly, that moment of fate was always kind of...thrilling. When it was over, he was stuck back with Drew, listening to him whine about Alli.

"Maybe - shocker - she can actually live without you!" Adam feigned surprise, sitting down on one of the benches, "She's gonna need time."

"But what about me?" Drew quickly countered, "What about what I need?"

"You know, if you really wanna fix things," Adam genuinely offered, "You're gonna have to stop asking that question so much."

Drew took a seat across from him and rested his head in his hands. Looking up with bittersweet tears brimming his eyes, he replied, "Well, maybe I'd feel better about giving Alli time right now if I actually knew how much time she had left."

Adam didn't really understand why, but suddenly, he began to sympathize for him. Shrugging diffidently, he admitted, "You're lucky." He almost felt like laughing when he saw Drew stare back at him with an expression so confounded, it was as if he'd just decided he wanted to be Gracie again. "You have something to lose," He finished.

A new kind of confusion filled Drew's face, "What are you saying? You wouldn't care if you died tonight?"

"No one else would, why should I?" Adam shrugged it off, distracting himself with a band-aid on the ground.

Drew couldn't believe what he was hearing. It certainly didn't sound like an idea that had just popped into his head, but how could he have not told him? "There's not a person who knows you who wouldn't care," He argued.

"You're kidding, right?" Adam rejoined, ammused. "Bianca and Fitz would throw a party, Eli and Clare wouldn't even notice, and you...I don't know, something to do with Alli."

Drew shook his head emphatically, "Adam, I care about Alli, but not more than you."

"That's why the moment they told us to pair up, you didn't even think of me until Alli flat-out rejected you?" Adam adduced stubbornly.

The genuine hurt hiding in his brother's voice started to sting him, the words pounded at his heart, and what sucked the most was that it all actually made sense. He looked away shamefully, the only words managing to escape his lips being, "I'm so...sorry..."

"Whatever, it doesn't matter now," Adam tried to blow it off. He didn't want to be a girl about it. "Let's just-"

"No, I made you feel like you weren't important to me," Drew fought back tenaciously, "And that's not okay."

"So, what is?" Adam got up and faced the wall. His legs felt like they'd fallen asleep. Were they really giving up on him already?

"I need you to make it through tonight," he begged. "But we'll need a better plan than hide-and-seek." He ran to Adam's side anxiously, an idea quickly forming.

Adam shrugged lazily, mindlessly throwing out a guess, "Marco Polo?"

"No," Drew spit out hastily, furrowing his eye brows before shaking it off. He paused for a second and then, nodded confidently, "I know what we'll do."

...

Dave and Alli slipped down the hall fleetly, yet cautious. They walked side by side all the way to the library, only now becoming aware of how bad the tension between them had really gotten.

"Haven't talked to you in a while," Dave commented awkwardly. He flicked the light switch back and forth but it didn't turn on. Down the hall, he could still see rooms lit up just fine. He slammed the stupid thing, annoyed. This really wasn't the time for the power to start being selective.

Alli ran her finger over an old book's dusty binding and nodded, "That's usually what happens when someone ignores you."

"Right..." Dave drew out, feeling like this may be one of those moments. You know, the kind of moment you chew over with Twix. "I took the rejection kind of hard," he admitted uneasily, in an effort to justify himself. "Guess I'm not all that great at being a friend either."

"Too bad," Alli folded her arms sullenly, "I really could have used one lately."

Dave felt his heart break a little for her. "W-what happened with you and Drew?" He asked shyly, unsure if he was allowed to, "I've heard rumors but..."

"Bianca happened," Alli clarified, clenching her teeth bitterly.

Dave lowered his head dejectedly. It was all she would say but it was enough. Enough to know there was probably more truth to the rumors than she'd like to admit.

"Man, he fucked up big time," Dave said seriously. "He has no idea what he gave up."

Alli almost chuckled at how cliche he sounded, "Dave-"

"I mean it, Alli," he persisted earnestly. "You deserve _so_ much better than that. You deserve everything..." His voice trailed off for a second while he took her hand in his, "And all I've ever wanted to do is be that for you."

A genuine smile crept over her lips, "I think that's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me." Tears came streaming down her cheeks once again, but for the first time that night, they felt kind of good.

His eyes locked with hers, two different shades of brown melting into one. Gently tangling his fingers deeper through hers, he felt his heart start beating out of his chest. And, somewhere in that moment, he began to lean...

"Whatcha doing?" Alli pulled back instantly, dodging any possible contact.

"I - I just thought-" Dave stammerered to the disgusted expression fixed on her face.

"That I'd completely changed my mind about how I felt about you in the last 5 seconds just because you made a few cheap comments?" she attacked him. Where he was left with no reply, she couldn't stop going on. "Dave! Don't you get it? That's _never _gonna happen. God, you're lucky enough I'd think of you as a friend, seeing as you pretty much don't have any others. I'm sick of you chasing after me, got it?"

As she continued to cut him down, his regret turned to anger. Needing to get away, He met her eyes coldly one last time before slipping out the door and disappearing into the darkness. He was so over chasing. From that point on, he'd just run.

...

"Oh my god," Bianca caught her breath as KC broke off the kiss to press her back to the wall. His lips pressed loosely all the way down her neck, tracing a line to her heaving chest. He tugged impatiently at her jacket's stubborn zipper and pulled it down her shoulders, desperately exposing more skin.

She raked her hands through his smooth, dark hair, savoring the feel of his rough, warm tongue against her breast. Another raspy moan broke from her throat, driving him crazy. He couldn't get enough of how much he could turn her on.

KC's mouth came back over hers, catching her lips up in another fervid kiss. She clawed her nails up his chest and gripped onto his jacket, forcing him closer. Her arms wrapped tightly all the way around his neck, getting lost in his love. He bit down on her lip lightly and pressed his forehead to hers, smirking playfully against her mouth.

Pinning him up to the door again, Bianca kissed her way down furiously, claiming it as her turn to do whatever she'd like to him. His head fell back against the hard wood behind him, melting at every touch. He let his fingers explore over all her curves, sliding his hand down inside her back pocket.

His eyes blinked open, his breath slowing down as the fear sunk in. He gripped onto the handle in her pocket and pulled it out, flipping open a shiny, silver blade. He turned to her with wide eyes, unsure if he should start laughing or just fall down on his knees and beg for his life.

She stared back innocently, "What? It's one of those Buck Metro knives. It opens bottles...cans..."

"I- I know what it is," his tone started stronger but fell quiet. He needed to know what he was doing with a potential murder weapon held freely in his hands.

"I swiped it off that shelf over there," she rolled her eyes, naively reasoning, "It's a safety precaution."

KC shut his mouth slowly, refusing to say a word. She paused for a moment before letting out a throaty laugh.

"Guess that's what you get for trying to get to third base when there's a killer on the loose," she taunted him, fixing her daring eyes into his intently. She brushed past his shoulder to the door before turning back with a devilish grin.

"Are you afraid of me now?"

...

*So, I thot that was an...er, interesting..way to end it. I'm just so glad to finally be able to update! And I trust you are too :) Sorry it takes me a while :\ Thanks to everyone's who's been patient! Luvv u guys XD Pleaseee review! Who's gonna die next?*


	9. Tastes Like Fear

Clare's eyes squinted through the darkness to the end of the hallway. Stepping forward warily, she could almost hear the soft tapping of her ballet flats against the cold, cement floor. The depressing, gray shadows seemed to be twisting into indistinguishable shapes. It felt like she'd dug out her old, broken glasses and put them back on. She tried to take in a breath but the oxygen just seemed to be choking her. The air was too thin to breathe, too thick to move. She looked to her side. The walls were closing in on her, claiming her as their guilty prisoner forever. She turned straight ahead. This time, the image was clear. Someone was coming at her. She blinked hard. It wasn't going away. She clenched her trembling fists together, but she was too weak to fight. They were racing towards her. Faster. Closer. They were gonna break through. They-

"_ELI, HELP!_" She screamed, her knees giving way and dropping to the ground.

Eli appeared from a nearby room and immediately stuck to her side. "_Clare."_ He carefully helped her up and steadied her by the shoulders. Her eyes looked swollen and red, with no control over the tears they released. She was gasping desperately for air, begging him to save her. He tried to piece together the words through her relentless sobs, but none of it made any sense. When he looked over to see nothing but an empty hallway, a part of him broke inside.

"It's okay... everything's okay," he promised, lightly brushing aside the strands of hair from her face. His soft touch tickled against her skin, almost making it okay for her to relax. "I'm right here."

"I - I saw -" her tone started out strong as she gripped tightly onto his shirt, finally looking back up at him. "I thought..." Her gaze drifted downward as she watched her innocent fingers freely running down the front of his chest. "We're alone, aren't we?" He nodded slowly, and she, again, avoided his eyes. This time, out of embarrassment.

"Clare, if you let your mind play tricks on you like that, you're gonna kill yourself long before anyone else can," Eli warned her.

Her jittery hands clenched onto the fabric on his shoulders. "Yeah, I'd hate to spare them the thrill," she joked cynically. She trapped a lock of his dark hair in her fingers and shrugged, "Either way, it's over."

He turned his head slightly, staring back curiously out of the corner of his eye. "I'm considering a few more options," he pretended to admit. "Living was one of them."

Clare's head instantly began to shake at the possibility, "Believe me, Eli, I know stories like this -"

"We're not in one of your fan fictions, Clare," he persisted, unwilling to be shaken. "This is real life. And, sometimes, that means you get to choose the ending."

"Well, it's the end, Eli," her voice was practically verging on laughter, "_Choose_!_"_

_"Clare,_" he pulled her up against her, wrapping his arms around her fragile body to hold her as close as he always wanted to. Her muscles instinctively tensed up at the sudden movement but soon released. A shiver went drifting all the way down her spine as she felt his soft lips gently brushing up to her ear. "Can you feel this? You are _still here_." One arm came around her shoulder while his other slid down her back, giving himself over to her. "You're here with me."

Her eyes drifted shut as she buried her face into the warmth of his neck. Breathing it in always seemed to make everything a little better.

"And, so, the thing is, it really doesn't matter if we have 50 more years or 5 seconds," he whispered, every word beginning to feel like a lullaby to her, "Because we have this moment, and I'm going to hold onto it with everything left in me, because my heart is still beating." He pulled back a bit just for another chance to look into her eyes, "But not for me, Clare. It's beating for you."

Clare stood completely still, not finding the words to say, but daring herself to keep staring at him until she did. Eli lowered his mouth to her shoulder and blew on it lightly, letting his lips just drag softly over her skin as he came up higher. She let out a long, desirous sigh as her eyelids fluttered closed again, refusing to hold her feelings back anymore. Each kiss made her weaker. God, he drove her crazy.

His mouth hovered over hers, ready to close the gap they'd been building between them for too long. His hot breath fell faintly against her face. She could almost taste it...

_BOOM, _The echoing sound of a door slam filled the room. Clare gasped so hard she almost choked on her tongue. Eli quickly covered her mouth over with his hand as she clung onto him for dear life. Footsteps were drawing closer with no patience, and there was no one's imagination to blame it on this time. Eli tried to hide his disappointment, swallowing back the frustration that would continue to burn inside him. But, even through his anger and agitation, deep down, he was scared too.

...

*Um...update? Okay, so it's not nearly as long as it should be for me making you wait so long but it just took me forever to write because there are just not enough fucking adjectives in the world, and it was getting so frustrating, and so I'm just updating to let you know I still wanna write this story. Leave a comment if you're still reading this and please make it more than just telling me to update. If that's all I get, it's just gonna frustrate me more and it'll make it totally pointless to write this because I won't be getting any actual feedback on the chaps I am posting. It's the super sweet comments I've been getting recently that kept me writing this :) I don't know if the Eclare scene actually turned out good or not so lemme kno if u think that my writing is still up to par with the other chaps. It should be easier to make updates with Christmas break almost here and hopefully, it will make it easier to wait till February :) I love you guyss, thanks for reading!*


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